Among those who hold this view are Mālik and Abū Ḥanīfah.

Some scholars, however, maintained that he must repeat the prayer, and among those who espoused this opinion are Aḥmad, Dāwūd, and the Ẓāhirīs.

The reason for their divergence is the apparent clash in the relevant textual indications. On one side, it is related from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—that he said:

“Do not perform the same prayer twice in a single day.”

Yet it is also narrated that he instructed those who had already prayed in congregation to repeat the prayer with the second congregation. Moreover, the outward sense of the ḥadīth of Busr obliges every worshipper who enters the mosque to repeat the prayer, for its wording carries the force of a general ruling. The majority hold that when a general text is revealed on account of a specific incident, it is not restricted to that incident alone. Likewise, Muʿādh’s practice of praying with the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—then leading his own people in that very prayer indicates the permissibility of repeating a congregational prayer.

Faced with these reports, the scholars adopted two approaches: harmonization (jamʿ) and preference (tarjīḥ).

Those who favored preference adhered to the general wording of his statement—peace and blessings be upon him—

“Do not perform the same prayer twice in one day,”

and made only one exception: the case of someone who had prayed alone, for there is scholarly consensus on that.

Those who chose harmonization said that the meaning of the Prophet’s words—peace and blessings be upon him—

“Do not perform the same prayer twice in one day”

is that a man should not repeat the identical prayer twice while considering each performance obligatory; rather, he must regard the second as supererogatory, even though he has been commanded to perform it.

Another group held that the ḥadīth applies exclusively to the solitary worshipper—that is, a person who has prayed alone should not repeat the same prayer twice.

[Chapter Two: On the conditions of the imamate, who takes precedence in leading the prayer, and the rulings specific to the imam]

This chapter comprises four issues.

Issue One: The scholars disagreed over who has the strongest claim to lead the prayer. Mālik said: The one who should lead is the most learned in jurisprudence, not necessarily the most skilled in recitation—a view likewise held by al-Shāfiʿī. Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Thawrī, and Aḥmad maintained that the one who recites the Qur’an best leads the people.

The cause of this disagreement lies in their differing understandings of the Prophet’s statement—peace and blessings be upon him: “Let the people be led in prayer by the one who …”